Napkin dispenser



April 22, 1958 o. F. CHAPLIN 2,831,602

NAPKIN DISPENSER Filed May 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. OLIVER I. GHAPLl/V O. F. CHAPLIN NAPKIN DISPENSER April 22, 1958 Filed May 20, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR OBLVER E OHAPLl/V A 7' TOR/VEYS United States Patent NAPKIN DISPENSER Oliver F. Chaplin, Portland, Oreg., asslgnor'to Crown Zellerbach Corporation, San Francisco, Calif, a corporation of Nevada Application May 20, 1e54, Serial No. 431,239 2 Claims. (11. 221-59 This invention relates to dispensers for paper napkins or other flat folded paper-like articles.

It is common practice to make large capacity dispensers in the form of a cabinet with a sliding drawer. The napkins are disposed on edge in the drawer where they are urged forwardly as a stack against the inside front of the drawer and the drawer front is slotted to enable removal of a single napkin without opening the drawer. Various means have been devised for urging the napkins forwardly of the drawer most of which employ springs of one form or another. A long coil spring appears to be the most satisfactory because of its ability to apply a relatively even pressure throughout a long range of distortion. This prevents a very high pressure when a fresh supply of napkins is inserted and a very low pressure when the supply is nearly depleted.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved napkin dispenser and particularly a spring arrangement therein which is simple to manufacture and assemble.

A further object is to provide a sliding drawer-type dispenser with a pusher plate in the drawer urged forwardly by spring pressure in such a manner that upon opening of the drawer, the pusher plate remains in a rearward position to facilitate insertion of napkins and the springs remain within the dispenser cabinet in a concealed position.

Further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention are made apparent in the following specification wherein the invention is described in detail by reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a napkin dispenser embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken in a plane near the forward end of the dispenser shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the same dispenser with a portion of the side wall broken away and with other parts broken to illustrate mechanical detail; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same dispenser with parts broken away and parts in section.

The napkin dispenser as shown in Fig. 1 comprises a rectangular metal cabinet generally indicated at with an open front for receiving a drawer, the front end of which is illustrated at 11. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the cabinet 10 has a top 12, side walls 13 and a bottom which is illustrated as provided with a corrugated rubber mat 14 to protect the surface upon which the cabinet rests. A rectangular slidable open top drawer shown at 15 has outwardly flanged side edges 16 which serve to space the sides of the drawer from the inner walls of the cabinet and may bear upwardly against flanges 17 which project inwardly from a pair of drawer guides 18 welded or otherwise secured to the inner sides of the cabinet. Within the drawer is a pusher plate 19 supported for sliding movement between the back and front ends of the drawer and resiliently urged forwardly by means presently to be described. The napkins are disposed within the drawer in front of the pusher plate which urges them against the inside of the drawer front and enables their removal one at a time through an opening 20 provided for this purpose.

To mount the pusher plate for sliding movement in the drawer, a carriage 21 in the form of a fiat plate extends across the drawer and has ends 22 which project through slots 23 formed in the sides of the drawer and extending substantially throughout its full length from front to back. Anti-friction rollers 24 are disposed two on each side of the carriage 21 for engagement with the inner sides of the drawer walls to guide the carriage in its sliding movement. The pusher plate 19 is secured to the forward edge of the carriage and moves with it.

In order to urge the carriage 21*forwardly, an elongated coil spring such as shown at 25 is disposed on each side of the drawer with one end anchored to a projecting end 22 of the carriage 21 This spring extends forwardly and downwardly around a sheave 26 rotatable on a bearing pin 27 secured one to each of the cabinet walls 13. From the sheave 26, the spring leads rearwardly to an anchor clip 28 secured to the cabinet wall at the rear thereof.

When the drawer is charged with napkins interposed between its front end and the pusher plate 19, the springs 25 acting around the sheaves 26, urge the pusher plate forwardly and hold the napkins in contact with the front of the drawer where they are readily removable through the opening 20. The drawer is normally held in its closed position by a concealed latch which, as shown in Fig. 3, comprises a spring latch lever 30 depending from the top of the cabinet and a keeper 31 secured to the inside of the front of the drawer. The latch and keeper are automatically engaged upon closing of the drawer and in order to open the drawer, a finger inserted through the opening 20 and pressed upwardly against the latch member 30 will release the latch.

When the drawer is opened to replenish the supply of napkins therein, its opening movement is limited by a pair of lugs 32 best illustrated in Fig. 2 which are secured to the inner walls of the cabinet or may be outwardly bent extensions of the drawer guides 18. The lugs 32 are positioned to engage the outer ends 22 of the carriage 21 to limit the forward movement of the carriage. Opening of the drawer is thus limited when its rear wall engages the rear edge of the carriage. struction, the carriage 21 which carries the pusher plate 19 is disposed in the rear of the drawer when it is fully opened. This enables the insertion of a supply of napkins without the necessity of holding the pusher plate in a retracted position while the supply is being inserted. Furthermore as soon as the drawer is closed, the necessary resilient pressure is applied by the springs 25 to hold the napkins in their proper position.

One of the advantages of this invention is that the springs and their associated mechanism for urging the pusher plate forwardly are carried-entirely by the inner wall of the cabinet and are enclosed and protected within the space between the cabinet and the walls of the drawer. Thus when the drawer is opened, this mechanism is not exposed and no additional plates or cover members are needed for its protection.

I claim:

1. A dispenser for napkins or the like of the kind which includes a cabinet and a sliding comprising a pusher plate slidable lengthwise of the drawer, a sheave attached to the inside of the cabinet forwardly thereof and between the drawer a coil spring anchored at the inner rear portion of the cabinet leading forwardly and about the sheave and then rearwardly for attachment to the pusher plate, whereby the pusher plate will be urged forwardly of the drawer,

Patented Apr. 22, 1958' With this condrawer therein and the cabinet,

said'drawer having longitudinally slotted side walls, and members connected to the pusher plate and extending through the side walls to form anchors for said springs.

2. In combination with an open front cabinet and a napkin dispensing drawer slidable through the open front, a pusher plate slidable' forwardly in the drawer to hold the napkins against the front and means to urge the pusher plate forwardly comprising, a pair of sheaves secured one to each inner side of the cabinet adjacent the front and between the cabinet Wall and the side of the drawer, a pair of long coil springs anchored at the inner rear corners of the cabinet leading forwardly, about said sheaves, and then rearwardly, means connecting the ends of the springs to opposite sides of the pusher plate to urge it forwardly of the drawer, and anti-friction rollers carried by said means and engaging the sides of the drawer to facilitate movement of the pusher plate in the drawer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

